Windows 10: Can't read older *.hlp files on Windows-10

SUPPLEMENT-3:
(1) First, get a file for Windows XP (x64) by,
​[REMOVED UNAUTHORIZED DOWNLOAD LINK]
Note:
Press the "Download" button (light blue button), locating below the item "Windows XP 64 Bit ISO Free Download."
You can get one downloaded file (*) (by waiting roughly 4 minutes),
(*): Windows_XP_64Bit_Pro.zip
(2) Then, de-compress the "zip" file (i.e. Windows_XP_64Bit_Pro.zip), by using some un-zipping tool.
You can get the "Windows_XP_Professional_64-bit.iso."
(3) Check the contents of this "iso" file (i.e. Windows_XP_Professional_64-bit.iso), by using some tool (for looking the contents of an “iso” file).
(4) You can find "WWINHELP32.EX_" in the "I386" folder of this "iso" file.
Note:
Be careful NOT "WINHELP32.EX_"
(5) Copy this “WWINHELP32.EX_” into a temporary folder on your HDD.
(6) Open the “Command Prompt” window, and then move the prompt to the temporary folder (in which the “WWINHELP32.EX_” exists).
(7) Execute following command in the temporary folder (in which the “WWINHELP32.EX_” exists);
expand wwinhlp32.ex_ winhlp32.exe
Note:
Be careful "wwinhlp32.ex_" and "winhlp32.exe"
By this execution, you can get “winhlp32.exe” (which has been de-compressed from “WWINHELP32.EX_”).
As a result, you can use this “winhlp32.exe.”
[IMPORTANT NOTE]
If an old help file (*.hlp) can not be opened on Windows XP/2000/ME/98/98SE, this kind of old help file (*.hlp) can not be opened on Windows 10, even if replacing "winhlp32.exe" (exsiting in Windows 10) with the "winhlp32.exe" of Windows XP.

 

Can someone compare the winhlp32 EXE from a fully updated Windows 8.1 computer with the to the ones provided in this thread? Thx.

 

The ones provided in this thread are much larger than the ones in my fully updated W8.1.

 

Please refer to the attached pictures, which might be easy to understand.

 

Comparison between the "winhlp32.exe" for Windows 8.1 Eng x64 (*1) and the "winhlp32.exe" for Windows XP Eng x64 (*2):
(*1) = The "winhlp32.exe" for Windows 8.1 Eng x64, which can properly open an old help file (*.hlp) on Windows 8.1 Eng x64. Inother words, this "winhlp32.exe" is as same as that provided by "Windows8.1-KB917607-x64.msu."
(*2) = The "winhlp32.exe" for Windows XP(SP2) Eng x64, which can open an old help file (*.hlp) on Windows XP(SP2) Eng x64. This "winhlp32.exe" is used as the "winhlp32.exe" which is replaced with the original "winhlp32.exe" in Windows 10 Eng x64.
Please refer to the following picture.
Note:
These two "winhlp32.exe" files have completely different file-structure, when comparing them by using a certain binary editor. Therefore, showing the difference between two files (as a binary list) is meaningless.

 

I upgraded just a couple of days ago, successfully solved problems with LAN printer and DVD drives not showing up. Now I came across the fact that the older (hlp) files are handled by new winhlp32.exe that is merely a stub that opens a web site explaining that you are trying the impossible :-(. Hmm, not quite sure what MICROSOFT policy exactly is, but thinking that people stop using legacy apps just because MICROSOFT wants to push the new Windows version that is not compatible is naive. The old (win XP, win 7) winhlp32.exe version is still present in c:\windows.old\windows folder, but cannot be associated with HLP files (why?) and copying it to different location and running it gives the error 9009 (why?). For the time being I wrote myself a simple windows console application that launches the old winhlp32.exe located in c:\windows.old\windows folder and passes it the path to the HLP file as the 1st argument. I associated HLP files with my console application. I hope that MICROSOFT is going to do something with this problem soon or I shall make a fortune with this app

 

Thanks! I just installed the x64 version, and it works like a charm!

 

Can someone please provide instructions on how to do this with the latest winhlp32 from a fully updated W8.1 install? Thx.

 

Why not just convert the .hlp file to PDF? There are a number of tools to do so, but I don't know of any free ones.

 

Please refer to the following pictures.

 

In time, conversion might be the best option, however for now, I and probably others prefer to open the HLP files natively in W10. Converting can take time, maybe lots if there are a lot of HLP files to convert.

 

I too have been frustrated by this Winhlp32.exe stub, since it first affected me in Windows 8. Microsoft has as little interest in old MS and 3rd party applications that use the legacy Windows 32 help system as it has in Windows XP, to the extent that thy receive no revenue from these legacy programs. Whereas the kind thing to do would be to offer an on-the-fly conversion of the legacy .hlp file to an acceptable modern format such as .chm, Microsoft has again chosen a lazy and arrogant approach to users - in effect telling users to purchase new software.

However, the official reason why the old Windows help system is not readily available is because it is inherently insecure. Any .hlp file can be crafted to do nasty things to your PC because these .hlp files can run programs, macros and other scripts.

I have read that the Microsoft Installer for Windows 8 winhlp32 only works on US-EN systems (you can change this temporarily to install the KB update), but subsequent recent updates in Windows 8/8.1 have broken the functionality of winhlp32.exe. As well as this, the component store may replace the functional, older XP version of winhlp32.exe, with the stored 10KB useless stub, with the up to date timestamp.



http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/w...ef68972?page=1

 

Am I right in thinking that the update mentioned in Post1 (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/917607) fixed the problem for Windows 8.1, until update KB3000850 came along and broke it?

But KB917607 isn't offered in a variant for Windows 10 at all?

Although it doesn't solve the problem immediately, I think it wouldn't do any harm if people 'upvote' the posts in the Feedback app which ask for windows help to be reinstated.
Feedback - Send to Microsoft in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

 

Hi, Dr. Mystere.
I think you might well know, but here is just an example to convert the HLP file to the PDF file. Please refer to the attached pictures.

 

This lack of support for Winhlp32.exe OOTB has been present in every Windows consumer version since Vista, and (grudgingly, it seems) each time, a "fix" has been made available, usually by optional updates that are not offered by the routine update systems.
Then, if the installation can actually be made to work (often it fails with "not applicable for your system" or similar error), many features of Windows Help can only be made to work as intended with registry edits, further Microsoft "Fix It" patches, or not at all due to security features in the OS, or just undocumented error messages.

Why, oh why, does not Microsoft cut their losses and provide a hlpwin32 conversion script that decompiles the legacy help files to their RTF source files and indexes, and then recompiles these to CHM help format, and offer support for difficulties with this process, rather than swimming against the tide of users who wish to continue to use their legacy software, often bought at great expense at a time when software was not dumbed down to the status of "app"?